Photocatalytic Reactor as a Bridge to Link the Commercialization of Photocatalyst in Water and Air Purification

The development of clean and sustainable teleology is vital to treat the critical environmental pollutants. In the last decade, the use of photocatalytic reactors has been widely reported for organic pollutants degradation. From photocatalysis’s application in environmental remediation, the primary technical issue to scientists is always the efficiency. The enhanced photocatalytic efficiency is mainly depended on the materials improvement. However, the design of photoreactors lags behind the development of photocatalysts, which strongly limit the widespread use of photocatalysis technology in environmental remediation. The nanoparticles separation, mass transfer limitation, and photonic efficiency have always been problematic and restrict the high photocatalytic efficiency of photoreactors. To overcome these bottleneck problems, the most popular or newfangled designs of photoreactors employed in air and water treatment has been reviewed. The purpose of this review is to systematize designs and synthesis of innovative TiO2-based photoreactors and provides detailed survey and discussion on the enhanced mechanism of photocatalytic performance in different TiO2-based photoreactors. The most studied photoreactors are the following: packed bed reactor, film reactor and membrane reactor, which have some limitations and advantages. A comprehensive comparison between the different photocatalytic performance of TiO2-based photoreactors is presented. This work aims to summarize the progress of TiO2-based photoreactors and provides useful information for the further research and development of photocatalysis for water and air purification.

Surface CuO, Bi2O3, and CeO2 Species Supported in TiO2-Anatase: Study of Interface Effects in Toluene Photodegradation Quantum Efficiency

The enhancement of active triggered by surface deposition of Cu, Bi, and Ce containing oxidic species onto a high surface area anatase is analyzed through the calculation of the quantum efficiency for toluene photodegradation under UV and Sunlight-type illumination. To this end, series of Cu, Bi, and Ce containing oxides supported on anatase were synthesized having a growing content of the Cu, Bi, and Ce surface species and characterized with X-ray diffraction and photoelectron, UV-visible, and photoluminescence spectroscopies as well as transmission electron microscopy. Utilizing the surface concentration of Cu, Bi, and Ce species as a tool, we analyzed the influence of the system physicochemical properties affecting quantum efficiency in anatase-based materials. First, employing small surface concentrations of the Cu, Bi, and Ce species deposited onto (the unperturbed) anatase, we provided evidence that all steps of the photocatalytic event, including light absorption, charge recombination, as well as surface interaction with the pollutant and chemical output as to activity and selectivity have significance in the quantitative assessment of the enhancement of the efficiency parameter. Second, we analyzed samples rendering maximum quantum efficiency within all these series of materials. The study indicates that maximum enhancement over anatase displays a magnitude strongly dependent on the efficiency level of calculation and would thus require the use of the most accurate one, and that it occurs through a balance between optoelectronic and chemical properties of the composite materials. The (Cu, Bi, Ce) oxide-anatase interface plays a major role modulating the optoelectronic properties of the solids and thus the efficiency observable.

Preliminary study on optimization of pH, oxidant and catalyst dose for high COD content: solar parabolic trough collector

In the present study, solar photocatalytic oxidation has been investigated through laboratory experiments as an alternative to conventional secondary treatment for the organic content reduction of high COD wastewater. Experiments have been performed on synthetic high COD wastewater for solar photocatalytic oxidation using a parabolic trough reactor. Parameters affecting the oxidation of organics have been investigated.

The experimental design followed the sequence of dark adsorption studies of organics, followed by photolytic studies (in absence of catalyst) and finally photocatalytic studies in presence and absence of additional oxidant (H₂O₂). All the experimental studies have been performed at pH values of 2, 4, 6,8,10 and the initial pH value of the wastewater (normal pH). For photocatalytic studies, TiO₂ has been used as a photocatalyst. Optimization of catalyst dose, pH and H₂O₂ concentration has been done. Maximum reduction of organic content was observed at the normal pH value of the wastewater (pH = 6.8). The reaction rate was significantly enhanced in presence of hydrogen peroxide. The optimum pH other than the Normal was in the alkaline range. Acidic pH was not found to be favourable for organic content reduction. pH was found to be a dominant factor affecting reaction rate even in presence of H₂O₂ as an additional oxidant. Also, the solar detoxification process was effective in treating a waste with a COD level of more than 7500 mg/L, which is a otherwise a difficult waste to treat. It can therefore be used as a treatment step in the high organic wastewater treatment during the primary stage also as it effectively reduces the COD content by 86%.

Comparison of H2O2/UV and heterogeneous photocatalytic processes for the degradation of dichloroacetic acid in water

A comparative study between two advanced oxidation technologies for pollutant degradation has been made. With the use of dichloroacetic acid (DCA) as the model pollutant, the reactions with hydrogen peroxide and UV radiation (H2O2/UV, 253.7 nm) and photocatalysis with titanium dioxide (TiO2/UV, 300-400 nm) are analyzed. Three criteria have been selected to compare the performances of both processes: (i) the percentage conversion of DCA and TOC (total organic carbon) at a fixed reaction time; (ii) the quantum efficiency, employing the true radiation absorption rates for both activated species (H2O2 and TiO2); (iii) the specific energy consumption to degrade 50% of the initial TOC. The optimal molar concentration ratio of H2O2/DCA and the optimal catalyst concentration have been employed in the experiments. The results indicate that, under the optimal operating conditions, the H2O2/UV process exhibits, by a large difference, the best performance taking into account the above-mentioned criteria. Nevertheless, both systems show similar values of specific energy consumption when a thinner reactor is employed. These results cannot be safely extrapolated to other contexts if (i) other compounds of different structure are degraded and (ii) a different catalyst is used. Moreover, they were obtained under optimized conditions, and typical, real-life situations may render quite different results due to the robustness of the titanium dioxide operation. They should serve as an indication that, under the studied conditions, a much-improved catalyst performance must be achieved to parallel, with a heterogeneous process, a yield similar to the one obtained with the homogeneous system.

Solar photocatalytic removal of Cu(II), Ni(II), Zn(II) and Pb(II): speciation modeling of metal-citric acid complexes

The present study is targeted on solar photocatalytic removal of metal ions from wastewater. Photoreductive deposition and dark adsorption of metal ions Cu(II), Ni(II), Pb(II) and Zn(II), using solar energy irradiated TiO2, has been investigated. Citric acid has been used as a hole scavenger. Modeling of metal species has been performed and speciation is used as a tool for discussing the photodeposition trends. Ninety-seven percent reductive deposition was obtained for copper. The deposition values of other metals were significantly low [nickel (36.4%), zinc (22.2%) and lead (41.4%)], indicating that the photocatalytic treatment process, using solar energy, was more suitable for wastewater containing Cu(II) ions. In absence of citric acid, the decreasing order deposition was Cu(II)>Ni(II)>Pb(II)>Zn(II), which proves the theoretical thermodynamic predictions about the metals.

The direct photolysis and photocatalytic degradation of alachlor at different TiO2 and UV sources

Direct photolysis and photocatalytic degradations of alachlor, a widely used herbicide, were studied using three different monochromatic UV lamps (254, 300 and 350 nm) and two TiO(2) sources. Both the direct photolysis and photocatalytic degradations of alachlor follow pseudo-first-order decay kinetics. TiO(2)-P25 was found to be an effective photocatalyst compared to TiO(2)-BDH. The direct photolysis of alachlor was dominant at 254 nm even if TiO(2) was present in the solution. Among the three UV wavelengths used, the highest photocatalysis quantum yield was obtained at 300 nm. The photocatalytic degradation rate of alachlor increased with the dosages of TiO(2), but an overdose of TiO(2) would retard the reaction due to light attenuation. Photocatalytic reactions were slightly enhanced in an alkaline medium, and the different proton sources causing various degrees of rate retardation were due to the presence of the corresponding counter anions. This effect was diminished at a later stage after the reaction intermediates were formed.